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Free events in Toronto: March 2 - 9, 2014

Free events in Toronto this week give a lot of love to fans of film and the literary arts (including a very serious debate series on which one novel all of Canada should read, and an entire weekend of free French film screenings) but there's also the odd pancake dinner and open bar. It's a great time to be alive and broke.

Here's how to publicly interact with various aspects of humanity on a budget in Toronto this week.

Canada Reads 2014 Debates
What is the one novel all of Canada should read? Jian Ghomeshi hosts, Stephen Lewis defends The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, Wab Kinew defends The Orenda by Joseph Boyden, etc (check out the website). From Monday to Thursday you can stop by the debates at the CBC at 10am - it'll be a stimulating break from trolling online job listings. Reserve tickets by emailing canadareads@cbc.ca. Monday, March 3 - Thursday, March 6th, 10am, CBC/Radio-Canada Canadian Broadcasting Centre (250 Front Street West).

Pancake dinner, featuring pancakes!
You have to hit up a church which might be weird depending on your background, but St. Stephens is pretty and a pay-what-you-can pancake dinner is always a pay-what-you-can pancake dinner. Tuesday, March 4, 7:30pm, Church of St. Stephen in-the-Fields (103 Bellevue Avenue).

CINSSU's Grease Sing-A-Long
What's better than a Grease Sing-A-Long? If you didn't just mumble "...anything?" then the answer is clearly a Grease Sing-A-Long with a Grease costume contest. Get to this one early if you want a seat. Thursday, March 6, 6pm, Innis Town Hall (2 Sussex Avenue).

If Walls Could Talk
A huge juried illustration centric art exhibit with a focus on the experimental is opening up in the 2nd Floor Gallery at the Gladstone. The show runs until March 30th, so if you miss the opening you have a month to stop in. Opening reception: Thursday, March 6, 7pm, Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. West).

Sound Image 2014: Music Photo Contest & Opening Night Party
Analogue Gallery's 3rd Annual Sound Image Music Photography contest and exhibition goes down next weekend. Only one photo will win the prize and glory - and full disclosure, some of our own photographers have concert shots in the show. The opening is RSVP only - click attending on the Facebook event or contact the gallery by phone (416 901 8001) or email (celia@analoguegallery.com). Friday March 7, Analogue Gallery (673 Queen Street West).

B.T.R.O Project
Hey rap fans, head to May on Dundas West on Saturday to take in a free hip hop show. B.T.R.O Project, aka Beats Timian Rhymes Oso, will be joined by special guests and DJ Steelo. Doors are at 8pm and music starts at 9pm. Saturday, March 8, 8pm, May (876 Dundas St. West).

Healing Power Records at the Tranzac 2Drumheller and Body Help are on this month's Healing Power showcase, a micro label which merges Toronto's underground dance, lo-fi, and experimental jams together whenever they can. Show 'em some love. It's PWYC, so show 'em whatever's sitting on your dresser, too. Unless all your money is in a wad on your dresser. Then do whatever seems rational. Saturday, March 8, 9:30pm, The Tranzac (292 Brunswick Ave).

Video Vengeance #4 - Kingdom of the Spiders
Freak out with Kingdom of the Spiders on VHS in a bar full of people who are also totally freaked out! William Shatner, spiders, and a free raffle are awaiting you at KITCH. Sunday, March 9, 7:30pm, KITCH bar (229 Geary Ave).

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